Italy vs Portugal Preview

This is the biggest game in this group at this stage and that is mainly because of Italy’s 1-0 win over Poland in their last game.

The race for the top spot has now been narrowed down to these two teams and it will be interesting to see if Portugal can secure a third consecutive win here.

Italy were on the verge of being relegated before their win over the Poles, however, they now need all three points here to stand a chance of topping the group.

The Italians are gradually bouncing back to the top of World football and tests like this one are what they need to show they are on their journey so expect them to go all out for a win at the San Siro.

Portugal has been left weakened by the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo since the end of the World Cup.

They have been building a new team by testing younger players and while they have been getting the results so far, this game should be a bigger test than what they have been put through before now.

Italy should be able to call on their experienced defence to shut out this inexperience Portuguese side, but the Portuguese are also a pragmatic team and this could lead to a low scoring affair.

Results of each team’s last 5 matches across all leagues and competitions